Scud Culture – Live Food for Nano Fish or Fry

Scuds are a great live food source for nano fish such as Pea Puffers, Scarlet Badis and many others. Scuds are easily cultured in the home aquarium making them an ideal live food for home hobbyists. Below we will outline how to culture scuds as well as what fish they are best suited for. 

What fish are Scuds suited for? 

Scuds are a perfect food for almost any nano fish. Scud babies are very small making them a great food for fry as well. A huge benefit to Scuds over some other live foods is that they will not foul the water. Since Scuds live and breed in freshwater, they will not die in the home aquarium thus they will not pollute the water.

Many fish sold today come from the wild and are accustom to eating live foods. Scuds make it easier for fish to make the adjustment from the wild to our home aquarium. 

Scud Setup

A basic tank setup including a filter with substrate, botanicals such as leaves, cones, or wood, and a plant such as moss is ideal for Scuds. A tiny sponge filter up to a small hang on the back filter will work just fine in a Scud tank. We recommended using a separate aquarium or container from your aquarium with fish to ensure the culture thrives. It is important to ensure that your water is aged prior to adding it into the colony. We recommend matching the water parameters to your current aquarium setups. Scuds will eat most prepared foods crushed, algae, detritus, and biofilm that grows on botanicals.